Tabitha King Explained

Tabitha King
Birth Name:Tabitha Jane Spruce
Birth Date:24 March 1949
Birth Place:Old Town, Maine, U.S.
Occupation:Author
Alma Mater:University of Maine
Genre:Horror, fantasy, science fiction
Children:3, including Joe and Owen

Tabitha Jane King (Spruce, born March 24, 1949) is an American author.[1] [2] [3]

Early life

Tabitha King is the third eldest daughter of Sarah Jane Spruce (née White; December 7, 1923 – April 14, 2007)[4] and Raymond George Spruce (December 29, 1923 – May 29, 2014).[5] King attended John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, Maine[6] before enrolling at the University of Maine, where she met her husband Stephen King through her work-study job in the Raymond H. Fogler Library.

Career

As of 2006, King had published eight novels and two works of non-fiction.[7] [8] She published her first novel, Small World, through Signet Books in 1981,[9] and in 2006, Candles Burning was published through Berkley Books.[10] [11] The paperback rights for Small World were bought by New American Library for $165,000.[12] Candles Burning was written predominantly by Michael McDowell, who died in 1999, and the McDowell family requested that King finish the work.[13]

In 2023, she was the executive producer of the independent horror film The Sudbury Devil.[14]

Social activism

King has served on several boards and committees in the state of Maine, such as the Bangor Public Library board.[15] She also served on the board of the Maine Public Broadcasting System until 1994.[16] In 1998 she received the inaugural Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, the Maine Humanities Council's highest award, for her work with literacy for the state of Maine.[17]

She currently serves as vice president of WZON/WZLO/WKIT radio stations, as well as in the administration of two family philanthropic foundations. The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, chaired by her and her husband, ranks sixth among Maine charities in terms of average annual giving, with over $2.8 million in grants per year, according to The Grantsmanship Center.[18]

Reception

Reception to King's work has ranged from negative to positive.[19] [20] [21] Pearl received positive mentions from the Los Angeles Times and the Bangor Daily News,[22] [23] while the Chicago Tribune panned Survivor.[24] The Arizona Daily Star criticized One on One, calling King "a hack",[25] whereas Entertainment Weekly, Time, and the Rocky Mountain News gave the novel positive reviews.[26] [27] [28] Caretakers received positive praise by The New York Times,[29] while Bookreporter.com wrote that some readers might be disappointed by the changes made to McDowell's Candles Burning.[30]

Awards and recognition

Personal life

Tabitha and Stephen King married on January 2, 1971.[34] [35] [36] [37] They have three children: a daughter Naomi and two sons, Joe Hill and Owen King, who are both writers.[38]

Influence on Stephen King's Carrie

As Stephen King recalled the origin of his debut novel, Carrie: "Two unrelated ideas, adolescent cruelty and telekinesis, came together." It began as a short story intended for Cavalier; Stephen tossed the first three pages in the trash but Tabitha recovered them, saying she wanted to know what happened next. He followed her advice and expanded it into a novel.[39] She told him: "You've got something here. I really think you do."[40]

Bibliography

Novels

YearTitlePublisherISBNPagesNote
1981Small WorldSignet Books312
1983CaretakersScribner's274First novel set in King's fictional community of Nodd's Ridge
1986The Trap352Also published as Wolves at the Door; second novel set in King's fictional community of Nodd's Ridge
1988PearlSignet Books368Third novel set in King's fictional community of Nodd's Ridge
1993One on One528Fourth novel set in King's fictional community of Nodd's Ridge
1994The Book of Reuben432Fifth and last novel set in King's fictional community of Nodd's Ridge
1997Survivor496
2006Candles BurningBerkley Publishing Group423with Michael McDowell. King continued her writing after McDowell's death in 1999.[41]

Nonfiction

YearTitlePublisherISBNPagesNote
1994Playing Like a Girl; Cindy Blodgett and the Lawrence Bulldogs Season of 93-94Dendrite CorporationN/A42The work is about basketball player Cindy Blodgett during her time at Lawrence High School.[42]
Mid-life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an AttitudeBerkley Publishing Group222Written by all of the Rock Bottom Remainders with photos by Tabitha King.[43]

Short stories

Poetry

Teleplay

Contributions and compilations

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Dooley, Jeff (June 2, 1985). "Terror Mistress Tabitha King Spins A Thriller". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  2. News: Forsberg. Helen. ONE ON ONE WITH TABITHA KING HORROR WRITER'S WIFE CARVES LITERARY NICHE. August 11, 2012. THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE. March 28, 1993.
  3. News: Keyes. Bob. Tabitha King's passion burns brightly. August 11, 2012. Maine Sunday Telegram. June 4, 2006.
  4. Web site: Sarah Jane Spruce. December 7, 1923 .
  5. Web site: Raymond George Spruce. May 29, 2014.
  6. Book: Beahm . George . Stephen King from A to Z: An Encyclopedia of His Life and Work . September 1998 . Andrews McMeel Publishing . 978-0-8362-6914-7 . en.
  7. News: Ketner. Lisa. Tabitha King Fans Meet Author. Sun Journal. October 17, 1994.
  8. News: Anstead. Alicia. Tabitha King in the Limelight. August 11, 2012. Bangor Daily News. March 16, 1993.
  9. Web site: Donovan. Mark. For Years, Stephen King's Firestarter Was Wife Tabitha; Now She Burns to Write, Too. People. August 11, 2012.
  10. News: Sullivan. James. Drama Queen. August 11, 2012. Boston Globe. June 4, 2006.
  11. News: Copeland. Blythe. Stepping Out of a Big Shadow. August 11, 2012. Writer's Digest. June 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121023024927/http://www.writersdigestshop.com/digital-issue-writers-digest-june-2007. October 23, 2012.
  12. News: Guckenberger . Katherine . Tabitha King novel fails to shine . October 1, 2022 . Journal and Courier . May 10, 1981 . 56.
  13. Book: Drew, Bernard A.. Literary Afterlife: The Posthumous Continuations of 325 Authors' Fictional Characters. 2009. McFarland & Company. 978-0-7864-4179-2. 169.
  14. Web site: Hubbard . El Rob . 2023-12-21 . 366 UNDERGROUND: THE SUDBURY DEVIL (2023) . 2024-07-19 . 366 Weird Movies . en-US.
  15. Web site: 122nd Legislature celebrates National Women's History Month March 2005: Tabitha King (b. 1949). September 30, 2008. Maine Senate. March 2005. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081204072715/http://www.state.me.us/legis/senate/WomensHistory/20NatWomensHistMon.King20_files/20.htm. December 4, 2008.
  16. News: Garland. Nancy. Tabitha King quits as trustee MPBC controversy grows since program. https://archive.today/20130202115816/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bangor/access/71114584.html?dids=71114584:71114584&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+03,+1994&author=Nancy+Garland+Of+the+NEWS+Staff&pub=Bangor+Daily+News&desc=Tabitha+King+quits+as+trustee+MPBC+controversy+grows+since+program&pqatl=google. dead. February 2, 2013. August 11, 2012. Bangor Daily News. December 3, 1994.
  17. Rogers. Lisa. Maine awards new prize to novelist Tabitha King. Humanities: The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities. January 1, 1999.
  18. News: Top Giving Foundations: ME . The Grantsmanship Center . March 30, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105604/https://www.tgci.com/funding-sources/ME/top . April 2, 2015 . live.
  19. News: Robinson. Evalyne. LOST SLEEP, LOST LIFE PROPEL PENS OF KINGS THE BOOK OF REUBEN. https://archive.today/20130131154751/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/dailypress/access/85927257.html?dids=85927257:85927257&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+27,+1994&author=EVALYNE+C.+ROBINSON+Book+Reviewer&pub=Daily+Press&desc=LOST+SLEEP,+LOST+LIFE+PROPEL+PENS+OF+KINGS+THE+BOOK+OF+REUBEN&pqatl=google. dead. January 31, 2013. August 11, 2012. Daily Press. Newport News, VA. November 27, 1994.
  20. News: Slater. Joyce. Teenage basketball, teenage sex, and a tenor who ought to be stopped. https://archive.today/20130131232508/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24373324.html?dids=24373324:24373324&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+28,+1993&author=Joyce+Slater.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Teenage+basketball,+teenage+sex,+and+a+tenor+who+ought+to+be+stopped&pqatl=google. dead. January 31, 2013. August 11, 2012. Chicago Tribune. February 28, 1993.
  21. News: Hall-Balduf. Susan. Books. https://archive.today/20130201030843/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/orlandosentinel/access/77421210.html?dids=77421210:77421210&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+21,+1993&author=Reviewed+By+Susan+Hall-Balduf,+DETROIT+FREE+PRESS&pub=Orlando+Sentinel&desc=BOOKS&pqatl=google. dead. February 1, 2013. August 11, 2012. Detroit Free Press. March 21, 1993.
  22. News: Simon. Linda. Hester's Liberated Daughter PEARL by Tabitha King. August 11, 2012. Los Angeles Times. March 19, 1989.
  23. News: Beaulieu. Janet. 'Pearl' gleams as both a character and novel. August 11, 2012. Bangor Daily News. November 8, 1988.
  24. News: Fallik. Dawn. TABITHA KING'S 'SURVIVOR' FAILS TO RING TRUE. August 11, 2012. Chicago Tribune. May 8, 1997.
  25. News: Tabitha King's 'One' is the work of a hack. August 11, 2012. Arizona Daily Star. May 2, 1993.
  26. Hajari. Nisid. Review: One on One. https://web.archive.org/web/20081202043213/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,306020,00.html. dead. December 2, 2008. Entertainment Weekly. August 11, 2012.
  27. Skow. John. Home Games. https://web.archive.org/web/20101028032648/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,977784,00.html. dead. October 28, 2010. Time. August 11, 2012. February 22, 1993.
  28. News: Graham. Mark. THE 'OTHER' KING COMES INTO HER OWN. August 11, 2012. Rocky Mountain News. April 4, 1993.
  29. News: Bass. Judy. Fiction in Brief. August 11, 2012. New York Times. October 23, 1983.
  30. Web site: Hartlaub. Joe. Candles Burning. Bookreporter.com. August 11, 2012.
  31. Web site: Bangorpedia. Tabitha King. https://archive.today/20140615094709/http://bangorpedia.com/tabitha-king/. dead. June 15, 2014.
  32. News: Tabitha And Stephen King To Receive Chamber's 1992 Award .. August 11, 2012. Bangor Daily News. November 13, 1991.
  33. News: Anstead. Alicia. Tabitha King wins Carlson award Author lauded for literacy efforts. https://archive.today/20130131145941/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bangor/access/35126525.html?dids=35126525:35126525&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+16,+1998&author=Alicia+Anstead+Of+the+NEWS+Staff&pub=Bangor+Daily+News&desc=Tabitha+King+wins+Carlson+award+Author+lauded+for+literacy+efforts&pqatl=google. dead. January 31, 2013. August 11, 2012. Bangor Daily News. October 16, 1998.
  34. Web site: King . Stephen . Stephen King on Twitter: "A couple of kids got married 48 years ago today. So far it's worked out pretty well. Still in love." . Twitter . January 6, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190102232359/https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1080588109065191426 . January 2, 2019 . live.
  35. Book: Beahm . George . The Stephen King Companion: Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror . October 6, 2015 . Macmillan . 978-1-250-08131-5 . October 1, 2022 . en.
  36. News: Donovan . Mark . For Years, Stephen King's Firestarter Was Wife Tabitha; Now She Burns to Write, Too . October 1, 2022 . People . 15 . 19 . May 18, 1981 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090604112605/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20079300,00.html . June 4, 2009.
  37. News: Forsberg . Helen . One on one with Tabitha King . October 1, 2022 . The Salt Lake Tribune . March 28, 1993 . 53.
  38. Web site: Vincent. Bev. Onyx interviews: Tabitha King. Onyx. August 11, 2012.
  39. King, Tabitha, Introduction to Carrie (Collector's Edition) Plume 1991
  40. Book: King, Stephen . . 2000 . 75–77.
  41. News: Keyes . Bob . Tabitha King's Passion Burns Brightly . October 1, 2022 . Portland Press Herald . June 4, 2006 . 37.
  42. News: Rimer . Sara . Orono Journal; In Maine, Being 'Good' Is Praise Enough for a Star . October 1, 2022 . The New York Times . March 11, 1995.
  43. Book: Marsh . Dave . Mid-life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude . Viking . October 1, 2022 . en . 1994. 9780670852345 .
  44. Book: King . Stephen . On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft . 2012 . Hodder . 978-1-4447-2325-0 . October 1, 2022 . en.
  45. Web site: Book Details.
  46. Web site: Stephen & Tabitha King Poems, Contraband #2, Rare '71 | #176356658.

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